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Many remarkable entrepreneurs, including Warren Buffet, Sheryl Sandberg, and Richard Branson, have credited their success, in part, to the advice of their mentors. An advisory board is an informal group of mentors whose collective business expertise—and objectivity—can help you make better, more informed decisions, thereby accelerating growth. Unlike business consultants (whose fees may well exceed your budget), advisory board members may agree to provide advice pro bono, for a small… Read more

HMRC has changed the way it calculates penalties charged to taxpayers who have made mistakes in their tax returns or failed to notify HMRC of a tax liability. Penalty regime Where a taxpayer fails to notify HMRC of their tax liability or makes an error (careless or deliberate) in a tax return, HMRC can charge the taxpayer a penalty, calculated as a percentage of the potential lost revenue (PLR). There… Read more

If you’re like most small business owners, there are never enough hours in the day to complete every task on your list. Often you’re faced with prioritizing what you need to do right now – deal with a customer, meet a deadline, attend an event – and the things you know you should do for the ongoing growth of your business. Scheduling time to attend to these business activities on… Read more

How much of Bruce Forsyth’s national treasure will go to IHT? Sir Bruce Forsyth was a genuine broadcasting legend, with a career spanning over 75 of his 89 years of life, and ending appropriately enough on the November 2015 Children in Need special of Strictly Come Dancing, a show he had co-hosted since its 2004 revival. His death on August 18th 2017 brings the curtain down on a lifelong love… Read more

Quick and efficient payment options benefit both small business owners and their customers. Consumers are used to flexibility – cash, check or charge? – when buying from large retailers. If you’re a cash-or-check only operation, consider how many sales you may be losing – and how your business would grow if your customers could pay with debit or credit cards. If one of your goals is to start selling online,… Read more

Most small business owners who use accounting software quickly master the basics. They automate processes like invoicing and payroll, track expenses and view real time financial reports to manage cash flow and make better business decisions. But what many business owners don’t take advantage of are key insights that can improve customer care and increase sales. Here are some smart ways you can use your accounting software to help boost… Read more

On average, small business owners spend 10 hours each week recording, organizing, and processing financial transactions – everything from accounts receivable and payable, to employee payments, expense receipts and supplier invoices. While the process may be time-consuming (and tedious!), effective bookkeeping is the foundation of sound financial management – which in turn, is the lifeblood of your business. Feeling overwhelmed by mountains of paperwork and complex calculations? Here are three… Read more